Civil freedoms under attack as inflation rockets

Transparency International (TI) has condemned the arrest of hundreds of human rights activists in Zimbabwe this week, saying the latest clampdown by the authorities was a blow to civil liberties. TI expressed concern over the arrest of its Zimbabwe representative, John Makumbe, who was detained with some 50 activists on Tuesday as they assembled in preparation for a march to protest alleged rights abuses and massive price hikes. "The arrests represent a dangerous attack on civil freedoms, and an escalation of the hostile treatment of civil society representatives by the authorities in Zimbabwe. Without the freedom of speech and of peaceful assembly, corruption and the abuse of power will continue to hold back the development and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe," TI said in statement on Thursday. The activists were still being held in custody on Thursday and were expected to appear in court on Friday. Makumbe, a well-known political scientist and human rights activist, was detained earlier this year when armed police prevented a meeting of civil society groups at a church in the capital, Harare, on 13 February. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's economy is expected to continue to shrink in 2004, according to Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa. Presenting the 2004 budget on Thursday, Murerwa said the economic crisis would deepen next year, with inflation expected to soar to 700 percent, Agence France Presse reported. Murerwa reportedly admitted that Zimbabwe had undergone "severe economic hardships" in 2003, and projected that the economy would contract by another 13.2 percent in the six weeks before the end of the year. Inflation in Zimbabwe now stands at 526 percent, according to figures issued on Tuesday by the state's Central Statistical Office. "The predictions are alarming, to say the least. And although the minister promised that he would devise ways to attract investment, there was no mention of concrete plans to tackle dwindling production levels. What remains to be seen are deliberate policies geared towards empowering the productive sector to the task of generating revenues. Relying on income tax or corporate tax is not going to finance the huge deficit," economist Dennis Nikisi told IRIN.